Golf swing training device

ABSTRACT

This is an improvement on training attachments on the head of a golf club. The training attachment includes a directing member attachable to the top of the head of the golf club so that it can be turned and held in selected directions relatively to the face of the club; a remote control device is actuated from the grip portion of the shaft of the golf club; in one form the actuation is through a line extending along the shaft of the golf club to the directing member and a device near the grip whereby the line is manipulated for turning the directing member; in another form the directing member has an electrical device including electromagnets for turning the same, which electrical device is actuated through a switch on or near the grip portion of the shaft of the golf club.

United States Patent 91 Harrison GOLF SWING TRAINING DEVICE [76]Inventor: John G. Harrison, 770 W. K. St.,

Benicia, Calif. 94510 [22] Filed: Aug. 20, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 389,953

UNITED STATES PATENTS 10/1958 Quattrin 273/193 R 3/1973 Harrison 273/186A Primary Examiner--George J. Marlo Attorney, Agent, or Firm-George B.White [57] ABS This is an improvement on training attachments on thehead of a golf club. The training attachment includes a directing memberattachable to the top of the head of the golf club so that it can beturned and held in selected directions relatively to the face of theclub; a remote control device is actuated from the grip portion of theshaft of the golf club; in one form the actuation is through a lineextending along the shaft of the golf club to the directing member and adevice near the grip whereby the line is manipulated for turning thedirecting member; in another form the directing a member has anelectrical device including electromagnets for turning the same, whichelectrical device is actuated through a switch on or near the gripportion of the shaft of the golf club.

7 Claims, 11 Drawing Figures Pmgmggwn 1 3mm 3, 29,102

sum 1 or. 3

PATENTE 1mm 3mm SHEET 3' [IF 3 GOLF swING TRAINING DEVICE BACKGROUND OFTHE INVENTION device which holds the training attachment in selecteddirectional position and wherein the desired direction of the attachmentcan be adjusted by remote control from a location on the shaft of thegolf club easily accessible to the player.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a golfclub with the attachment thereon the shaft being broken.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the head of the golf club with theattachment thereon.

FIG. 3 is a rear view of the head of the golf club with the attachmentthereon, the view being taken from the direction of the arrow 33 of FIG.2.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the grip portion of the shank of the golfclub showing the manipulable adjusting mechanism.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of an electrically actuated adjustable attachmenton the top of the head of the golf club.

FIG. 6 is a side view of the form shown in FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is an end view of the form shown in FIG. 5.

FIG. 8 is a fragmental sectional view of the shank of the golf clubshowing the grip in section with the electrically actuating mechanismtherein.

FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken on lines 9--9 of FIG 8.

FIG. 10 is a developed view of the electrically actuating mechanism.

FIG. 11 is a diagrammatic view showing the electrical circuit for theactuation.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS First Form Referring to FIGS. 1to 4 inclusive, there is shown a conventional golf club known as a wood"which has a head 1 provided with a striking face 2 and an upper surfacefrom which head extends a hollow shaft 4 terminating in a handle grip 6.

The attachment in this form includes a flat bracket 7 which is securedby suitable means such as screws 8 to the top surface 3 of the head 1.The bracket 7 is hollow and a pivot 9 is rotatably held thereinsubstantially in any suitable manner such as the structure shown in FIG.6 of US. Pat. No. 3,7l9,363. On the pivot 9 is fixed a horizontalstabilizer 11 which in this form takes the shape of delta outline wingstapering toward the face 2 to a point 12. A vertical stabiizer I3 isalso in the form of a plate arced so as to converge to the point 12.

The adjusting mechanism in this form includes a flexible line 14 whichextends through a flexible tube 16 extended along the shaft 4 to thegrip 6. In the present illustration the tube 16 extends through a hole17 in the side of the shank and then extends inside of the hollow shank,but it is understood that the same may be extended along the outside ofthe shank.

An end of the line 14 is anchored in a projection 18 on the underside ofthe horizontal stabilizer 11, the

other end of the line 14 extends into the actuating device 19 shown inFIG. 4. The line 14 is guided through a guide 21 extended from the base7 so that the projection 18 and the guide 21 are respectively below thewider portions of the opposite wings 11 as shown in FIG. 2.

The adjusting mechanism or actuating device 19 includes a sleeve 22suitably secured inside the top portion of the grip 6. The inner end ofthe sleeve 22 is closed and has a hole 23 through the closed end toaccommodate the flexible tube 16 the end of which latter has a retainingflange 24 resting on the inside of the closed end of the sleeve 22. Theline 14 extends into an externally threaded plug 26 and is anchoredtherein by ah enlargement 27 in a pocket in the top of the plug 26. Thesaid plug 26 is threaded into a tubular shank 28 which latter has aknurled head 29 overlapping the end of the grip 6. The shank 28 has'anannular groove 31 and a screw 32 extended through the grip 6 into thegroove 31 which restrains the shank 28 against longitudinaldisplacement. Thus when the head 29 is turned in one direction the plug26 advances inwardly of the shank 28 pulling the line 14, and when thehead 29 is turned in the other direction the plug 26 moves outwardly ofthe shank 28 thereby pushing or releasing the line 14 in the oppositedirection. Specifically when the head 29 is turned in the clockwisedirection viewing FIG. 4, then the horizontal stabilizer 11 and verticalstabilizer 13 are turned also in a clockwise direction so that theypoint away from the shaft 4, and when the knurled head 29 is turned in acontra-clockwise direction the stabilizers 11 and 13 are turned in acontraclockwise direction pointing toward the shaft 4. The plug 26 isprevented from turning by an ear 33 which travels in a slot 34 in thesleeve 22.

Second Form The second form is illustrated in FIGS. 5 to 11 inclusiveand the stabilizers l1 and 13 are mounted on the bracket 7 on a pivot 9as described in the first form of the invention. In this form an arm 41is extended laterally from one of the wings of the'horizontal stabilizer11 and radially with respect to the axis of the pivot 9. The other endof the arm 41 has a slot 42 which engages a pin 43 which pin extendsinto the middle portion 44 of a reciprocating member. At each end of themiddle portion 44 is a magnetic core 46 which works in an adjacentsolenoid 47. The solenoids 47 are fixedly supported on the ends of legs48 extended from the bracket 7 as shown in FIG. 5, so that the axes ofthe solenoids 47 are substantially at right angles to the arm 41. Hencewhen either of the solenoids 47 is energized it pulls the arm 41 in thatdirection and thereby turns the stabilizers to point in the respectiveadjusted direction. Suitable electrical wires 49 extend from therespective solenoids and in a common covering 51 extend along the hollowshaft 4. In this illustration the wires are inserted through a hole 52through one side of the hollow shaft 4 and then inside of the hollowshaft 4 to a conductor contact 52 held in a bracket 53. One or morebatteries 54 are inserted in the grip 6 as shown in FIG. 8. Thebatteries 54 are pressed against a second contact 56 which is on thelower end of a plug 57 secured in the tubular top 58 of the grip 6. Inthe tubular top 58 is a middle contact 59 and side contacts 61 and 62spaced equidistant on the sides of the middle contact 59. The plug 57has a button 63 on one side which fits into a bayonet slot 64, as shownat the bottom of FIG. 10, so spaced from the middle contact 59 that whenthe button 63 is locked into the bayonet slot 64 the plug contact 56 isin touch with the middle contact 59. A cylindrical switch 66 isrotatable about the tubular top 58 and is held in place by a washer 67which in turn is held in place by the knurled head 68 on the plug 57.Inside the cylindrical switch 66 is a cutaway recess 69 in which issuitably secured a bridge 71 of the same width as the distance betweenthe middle contact 59 and either of the side contacts 61 or 62 so thatwhen the cylindrical switch 66 is turned where the middle of the bridge71 is opposite the middle contact 59, the circuit is disconnected, butwhen the cylindrical switch 66 is rotated in a clockwise direction thenit will close the circuit between the middle contact 59 and the sidecontact 611. When the cylindrical switch 66 is turned incontra-clockwisedirection viewing FIG. 9 then the circuit is closedbetween the middle contact 59 and the other side contact 62. Accordingto the turning of the switch 66 when it is turned in clockwise directionas shown in FIG. 11, the solenoid 48 is energized which turns thestabilizers 11 and 13 in a clockwise direction viewing FIG. 11, and whenthe switch is turned to the opposite contact 62, then the other solenoid47 is energized to turn the stabilizers 11 and 13 in a contra-clockwisedirection. A coil spring 72 between the contact 52 and the lower battery54 presses the batteries 54 against the fixed contact 56 on the plug 57.

I claim: 1. A golf swing training attachment for a golf club having ahead and a shaft extended from the head and a handle grip on the freeend of the shaft,

a pivoted directing member turnable to selected directions relatively tosaid head and shaft,

means for pivotably attaching the direction member to the top of thehead of the golf club so that the axis of pivoting is substantiallyperpendicular to said top,

a manipulatable device at said grip of said golf club,

means for transmitting adjusting movement from said manipulatable deviceto said directing member.

2. The device specified in claim 1, and

said transmitting means extending along said shaft from said directingmember to said manipulatable device.

3. The device specified in claim 2, and

said transmitting means including a line connected to said directingmember for exerting turning motion to said directing member,

an element in said manipulatable means to hold the other end of saidline,

and means for operating said element by said manipulatable means formoving said line in either of opposite directions thereby to turn saidmember in selected directions.

4. The device specified in claim 2, and

the connection of said line to said member being offset from the pivotaxis of said member,

said manipulatable means including a turnable element in said grip,

an element moving axially relative to said grip, said line beingconnected to said axially movable element, and

means of connection between said turnable element and said axiallymovable element to convert the turning of said turnable element intoaxial movement of said axially movable element thereby to move said linein either of opposite directions at will for correspondingly turningsaid pivoted directing member.

5. The device specified in claim 1, and

said adjusting device including electrically actuated means for turningsaid directing member,

and said transmitting means including means to transmit electric currentto said electrically actuated means, and

said manipulatable device including switching means for energizing saidelectrical transmitting means for operation in opposite directions.

6. The device specified in claim 1, and

said adjusting device including a pair of spaced electro-magnets on saidattaching means,

a reciprocable element having an armature at each end operable by therespective electro-magnets, and

means to connect said reciprocable element to said pivoted directingmember for turning said directing member by the energization of therespective electro-magnet.

7. The device specified in claim 6, and

batteries in said grip,

said manipulatable means including a switch,

said transmitting means being electrical conduits extended along saidshaft connecting said batteries and said switch to the respectiveelectro-magnets, and

said switch being operable to selectively close the circuit between saidbattery and the selected electromagnet thereby to turn said directingmember into the selected direction.

1. A golf swing training attachment for a golf club having a head and ashaft extended from the head and a handle grip on the free end of theshaft, a pivoted directing member turnable to selected directionsrelatively to said head and shaft, means for pivotably attaching thedirection member to the top of the head of the golf club so that theaxis of pivoting is substantially perpendicular to said top, amanipulatable device at said grip of said golf club, means fortransmitting adjusting movement from said manipulatable device to saiddirecting member.
 2. The device specified in claim 1, and saidtransmitting means extending along said shaft from said directing memberto said manipulatable device.
 3. The device specified in claim 2, andsaid transmitting means including a line connected to said directingmember for exerting turning motion to said directing member, an elementin said manipulatable means to hold the other end of said line, andmeans for operating said element by said manipulatable means for movingsaid line in either of opposite directions thereby to turn said memberin selected directions.
 4. The device specified in claim 2, and theconnection of said line to said member being offset from the pivot axisof said member, said manipulatable means including a turnable element insaid grip, an element moving axially relative to said grip, said linebeing connected to said axially movable element, and means of connectionbetween said turnable element and said axially movable element toconvert the turning of said turnable element into axial movement of saidaxially movable element thereby to move said line in either of oppositedirections at will for correspondingly turning said pivoted directingmember.
 5. The device specified in claim 1, and said adjusting deviceincluding electrically actuated means for turning said directing member,and said transmitting means including means to transmit electric currentto said electrically actuated means, and said manipulatable deviceincluding switching means for energizing said electrical transmittingmeans for operation in opposite directions.
 6. The device specified inclaim 1, and said adjusting device including a pair of spacedelectro-magnets on said attaching means, a reciprocable element havingan armature at each end operable by the respective electro-magnets, andmeans to connect said reciprocable element to said pivoted directingmember for turning said directing member by the energizAtion of therespective electro-magnet.
 7. The device specified in claim 6, andbatteries in said grip, said manipulatable means including a switch,said transmitting means being electrical conduits extended along saidshaft connecting said batteries and said switch to the respectiveelectro-magnets, and said switch being operable to selectively close thecircuit between said battery and the selected electro-magnet thereby toturn said directing member into the selected direction.